Pete Maravich
Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame
Basketball, 1974-80
New Orleans Jazz/NBA
Inducted: 1990
One of the greatest scorers in college basketball history at LSU, “Pistol” Pete Maravich played five years for the New Orleans Jazz in the NBA. Maravich averaged over 20 points per game in each of his seasons in New Orleans, including a league-leading 31.1 points per game in 1976-77. He also averaged more than five assists in each of his Jazz seasons, including dishing out 6.7 per game while averaging 27.0 points for the 1977-78 season.
Maravich was selected for five all-star games in his 10-year NBA career, including three while with the Jazz, before injuries cut his career short.
During his three-year varsity career at LSU, Maravich averaged 44.2 points per game (leading the country in scoring each year) while earning Associated Press National Player of the Year honors in 1970. His 3,667 career points are still in the all-time record for Division I basketball despite only having three years of eligibility.
He was a two-time winner of the Corbett Award (1968, 1969) – presented by the Sugar Bowl to the top amateur athlete in the state of Louisiana.
His jersey #7 was retired by the New Orleans Jazz/New Orleans Pelicans in 1985 and he was inducted into the NBA Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Born June 22, 1947 in Pennsylvania, Maravich died of a heart attack on January 5, 1988 at the age of 40.
